Compromise
by November Romeo
Summary: In which he indulges her question, she calls him a pervert thrice and they argue over August. Oneshot, light and easy, like a Saturday morning.


**Compromise**

**Disclaimer: **The author rightfully respects the genius of Tachibana Higuchi, creator of Gakuen Alice

**Author's Note: **This is how I imagine Natsume and Mikan's relationship when they grow up and get past all their issues. Inspired by Ruka's comment in Chapter 5 of _**His Dark, Kind Soul**_ about Natsume being a "live-in-the-present" kind of guy. Maybe he isn't. This is set after_**Natsume Nullifed **_and before _**After This**_. Outrageously out of character within the boundaries of reason. Enjoy!

* * *

Natsume lay beneath the Sakura tree with his girlfriend of four months at his side. He had one arm around her shoulders while she rested her head contentedly upon his chest. He held up the manga he was reading with his other hand. Dimly, he wondered why he waited so long to allow himself to be happy.

Mikan was peering up at his book too, idly paying heed of the plot. However, she was more distracted by the steady rise and fall of his chest and the rhythmic beating beneath the blue sweater he wore. At seventeen, they were finally past the tantrums, petty arguments and misunderstandings that had hounded their relationship. They were together now and she was finally letting herself think about a future with him.

"How many kids do you want?"

His chest stopped moving. Natsume had stopped breathing. Mikan froze too, suddenly mortified by her own question.

_What did I just ask him?!_

They were both still for a while then at length Natsume's hand moved up to rest on her head. He exhaled. "Five."

"Five?" she repeated, relieved and astonished at the same time. "But that's so many…"

"Five, to make a basketball team."

"A basketball team?!"

"Or six. Then they could play three on three."

He was teasing her, Mikan realized and she laughed. "We'll be very busy."

"Creating them won't be a chore."

"That's _not_ what I meant!" she exclaimed, feeling her cheeks heat up.

Natsume smirked then he closed his book and laid it on the ground. "All I'm saying is, I'm up for the action and I think you should be too."

"Pervert."

"Yes, I am," he said unrepentantly then planted a kiss on the top of her head.

"Well, I want three children," Mikan said dreamily. "I thought we could name them after when they were born."

Natsume made a strangled noise that sounded strangely like a laugh. "April, May and June?"

She shook her head. "August, Tuesday and Thirdy."

"Thirdy?"

"He'll be born on March 3."

Natsume chuckled, "Looks like we're going to have to be precise."

"What do you mean?"

"We'll be abstaining in September and October but we'll be doing it like rabbits come winter."

"Natsume!"

"What? I'm trying to conceive August."

"You—"

"Pervert, I know," he snickered then kissed her forehead this time. "What sport would they play then?"

"Nothing, they'll form a band instead," she teased.

"They'll be sissies."

"They'll be artistic."

"Kids would beat them up after school."

She shook her head again. "Nobody beats up a Hyuuga."

"True, but I still refuse to be the Hyuuga Family Singers."

"It'll be cute!"

"I'd rather have my basketball team."

"You're not the one who'll be bearing children," she retorted.

"We'll compromise," he said briskly. "We'll have four children. They'll play two on two basketball but perform as a jazz quartet every Thursday."

"Sounds perfect," Mikan giggled. Then she went on decisively, "Our eldest will be a boy. He'll be very protective of his siblings."

"He'll be the coolest kid in school," Natsume threw in. "He'll rule the campus and everyone would be afraid of him. He'll be a tough kid, like me."

"No he won't," she argued at once. "He'll be warm and friendly, like me."

"Why do you insist that our kids would be sissies?"

"I am _not_ a sissy." Mikan looked up at him. They stared at each other for a moment then she sighed. "We'll compromise. He'll be tough _and_friendly."

"That's putting a lot of pressure on the kid," Natsume quipped but Mikan ignored him.

"They'll be friends with the Nogis…"

"The Nogis?"

"Of course. Ruka and Hotaru would be married and have kids of their own."

"Pregnant Hotaru? Scary."

"Her kids would be geniuses," Mikan said loyally. "We'll introduce our little Hyuugas to their little Nogis."

"There'll be war."

"Not if they take after me and Ruka," she said, sticking out her tongue.

"Little August would be bored with little Einstein."

"Little Einsteinette," Mikan corrected and he looked at her in question. "Hotaru wants a girl. She says they're much more reasonable than boys."

He nodded. "Ah, I see. Because girls use their brains and boys use their—"

"Natsume!"

"Heads," he finished devilishly. She swatted him on the chest then pushed herself up to scold him.

"You pervert!"

"We've already established that," he chuckled as he planted a swift kiss on her lips. Mikan rolled her eyes then settled back down.

"You're going to have to be a better role model for little August," she chided. Natsume was glad she couldn't see his wolfish grin because he was bound to get an earful. His smile faded, however, when she continued, "By the time he goes to the Alice Academy—"

"No," he said in a clipped tone. "No Academy."

"But he has to go to the school," Mikan insisted. "He'll be an Alice. He needs to be around other gifted kids so that he could learn."

"Non-negotiable."

Mikan sat up then looked at her boyfriend, hoping to appeal to him but he met her gaze with an indisputable look.

"I'm sure the school will be in a better state by then."

"No."

"The Academy would've changed a lot."

"No."

"There would be better people running it."

"No."

"Natsume."

"Mikan," he returned, matching her tone. They played the staring game again then finally he sighed. He was no proof against her gaze. Natsume sat up and ran a hand over his face. "We'll compromise."

"How? We'll send half of him to the Academy and the other half to juvenile court?"

Natsume chuckled then he reached out to brush a stray lock away from her face. "We'll send little August to the Academy if Yuu Tobita is the headmaster by then."

Mikan laughed heartily at that, startled by his response and the level tone he used. She was still giggling when Natsume guided her back down so that they could continue reading his manga.

* * *

Natsume and Mikan walked over to their dinner table with the former in an uncharacteristically good mood. When he slid into his chair, he popped open his soda can then addressed their Class Representative in an unusually good-humored tone.

"Hey Yuu, what's your policy on detention?"

Mikan's head snapped towards him, evidently startled. Yuu looked baffled. "What?"

"You know, first offense, second offense, whether lineage matters…"

"Uh… I don't know." He scratched his head. "But I don't think family should be a factor."

"I thought you'd at least cut my kids some slack," Natsume returned while Mikan tried her best to hide her amusement.

Yuu laughed, catching on. "I thought you'd at least teach your kids to respect me."

"I'll leave that up to their mother."

"What are you guys talking about?" Sumire broke in, clearly confused.

"Nothing," Natsume said, tongue in cheek. Then he turned to his best friend who had just joined them. "Hey Ruka, would you let little Einsteinette go out with little August?"

This time Mikan choked on her drink. Koko looked at them in bewilderment then he turned to whisper to the others, "Was that some kind of code?"

But somehow Ruka understood and threw a cursory glance at Mikan. He smirked, "Never."

"Why not?" Natsume asked, sounding slightly affronted.

Ruka raised an eyebrow. "Oh come on Natsume. If little August took after his father, at ten years old he'd be a per—"

"Point taken," Natsume cut in. He threw a glance at his girlfriend who had dissolved into laughter while the others looked on in puzzlement. He grinned back then turned to Ruka again, "Tell you what, we'll compromise…"

**THE END**


End file.
